One day can—and more than likely will—change everything for Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Beat college football king Alabama this weekend and silence everything. Lose and the noise grows louder and the distractions loom larger and everything you say and do is magnified beyond your control.

That’s right, everyone. The formalities are over.

It’s Johnny Gutcheck time.

This is really what Manziel’s offseason should have been all about. The team that finished third in the SEC West in 2012 has a chance to prove a stunning victory over the Tide last year wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t because Alabama overlooked the Aggies, or the Tide was physically spent after a grueling win oat LSU a week earlier.

We have no idea how Manziel prepared for this moment. We only know what he showed us this offseason—over and over and over.

It’s time to show something different—against a team that has been pointing to this game all summer.

Big Red statement

So you’re Bo Pelini and you’ve lost four games in each of your five seasons at Nebraska.

There has been no statement win, no game to point to and definitively say Nebraska is elite. Worse yet, you’re part of a trio of coaches that have contributed—fair or not—to the average state of the Nebraska program.

Frank Solich fizzled out late. Bill Callahan was a disaster. Pelini has averaged nearly 10 wins a season—but has nothing to show for it.

That’s why this weekend’s home game against UCLA is so important. The Bruins are hot, they’re building toward the national elite (just like Nebraska) and need this game as badly as the Huskers.

This is where Pelini’s Huskers either bow up or blow up.

Pick a QB and go

Whoever plays—and at this point, it may not really matter—he better be told that, without fail, he’s playing and staying in the game. The last thing Oklahoma needs is a quarterback controversy, especially considering how strong the Sooners’ defense has looked the first two weeks of the season.

Figure out who you’re going with, get him a feel-good win over Tulsa this weekend in front of a home crowd, then take the bye week and find a way to make the offense better going into a big game at Notre Dame.

What looked good in Week 2

— The LSU—ahem!—passing game. Really, it did. Again. Zach Mettenberger, the quarterback LSU fans love to rip, completed 16 of 19 passes for five touchdowns and no interceptions. After two weeks, Mettenberger is completing 63 percent of his passes, with six touchdowns and no interceptions. And plenty of drops by his receivers.

— Oregon. The Ducks just look ridiculously fast and athletic. Another week, another blowout. Even in a potentially difficult situation (improved Virginia defense; cross-country trip), the Ducks still rolled up 59 points and 557 total yards.

What needs work in Week 2

— Jeff Driskel. Maybe it really wasn't the Florida receivers after all. Maybe it's Driskel and lack of poise in the pocket and inability to find secondary options. The Florida passing game is a wreck, and Driskel is compounding the problems by making poor decisions.

— Tackling. All over the country with so many defenses. And then there's Texas. Somehow Texas returned almost everyone from last year's defense, and still can't tackle. Still takes bad angles on plays, still overruns plays. That's coaching, people. Plain and simple.